Do you feel like you have to stop spending until the next paycheck because you went over the budget for Christmas? Looks like you have to tighten the budget for a lot of things. But what about food? That’s a basic need you can’t ignore—especially when you have kids! Don’t worry, you can still keep everyone full and happy with these tasty, budget-friendly dishes.
Vegetable Stir-Fry
This healthy dish is a colorful and fun way to entice your kids to eat their veggies. Vegetable stir-fry is also the perfect solution for those random vegetables you have in stock. You can use leftover vegetables for this dish too! Just chop up the vegetables and season them to your liking in a frying pan, and you’re good to go! This healthy dish can be served with rice or noodles.
Spaghetti Aglio E Olio
Do you have a huge household to feed? Spaghetti aglio e olio can save you. Sounds fancy, right? But the sauce is just made out of minced garlic and olive oil! Serve each plate with a sprinkle of salt and cheese for the best results. The ingredients are not that much, yet it tastes terrific. Everybody gets to walk away from the dining table with a full tummy.
Grilled Cheese And Tomato Soup
Is it freezing cold outside? You can warm up with a hot grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. You can create the sandwich with basic items from your pantry, plus a can of tomato soup does not cost much. This dish will not break the bank! Here’s a tip: make your tomato soup extra creamy by adding milk. If you need a flavor boost, use herbs like basil and oregano.
Egg Salad Sandwich
The classic egg salad sandwich is a favorite and a simple, affordable meal. It can keep anyone full and will also give you a protein boost without having to rely too much on meat. Aside from being a spread for sandwiches, egg salads can be used as toppings and as a side dish too!
Spaghetti With Marinara Sauce
Here’s another pasta dish that you can cook for a huge household. This hearty meal is so good and cheap that you can have it all the time! All you really need is a jar of marinara sauce and spaghetti. You can make the sauce tastier by adding minced garlic and Italian seasoning when you heat it in a pan. Serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese on top and buttered bread on the side!
Rice And Beans
Here’s a budget-friendly dish for fans of Mexican food. Cook the rice in broth for a flavor boost, and choose your favorite beans. You can add a zingy twist to this dish with a squeeze of lime. You can add some tomatoes, vegetables, or leftover meat if you have them too. Make sure to mix everything thoroughly.
Vegetable Soup
Here’s another dish that you can make with a mixture of any vegetables—vegetable soup! It’s a healthy and easy dish that gives you a lot of room to experiment. Chop the vegetables and let them simmer in broth until they’re nice and tender. Season as you like. Don’t forget to add your favorite herbs.
Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a flavor-packed dish that is so easy to make. It’s basically made of tomato sauce and eggs and that does not cost you much! It may sound plain and simple, but don’t let it fool you—this dish tastes so good, they’d probably ask you to make more. If you want shakshuka to be spicy, season it with cumin or paprika. You eat shakshuka like a sauce, so serve it with bread, tortillas, crackers, or nachos.
Cabbage Stir-Fry
Cabbage is one of the most affordable vegetables out there. A head of cabbage is enough to stand on its own as a main dish thanks to the many cabbage stir-fry recipes you can find online. If you want some protein in the mix, add scrambled eggs or tofu—they are also cheap protein sources that won’t harm your budget. Serve this with rice or noodles and you have a good, hearty meal!
Gnocchi With Butter And Herbs
Store-bought gnocchi is super cheap and easy to cook. You just need to boil them in a pot until they float to the surface. Drain the water and toss them in a pan with butter, garlic, and herbs. Cook until the gnocchi is golden, then serve with grated cheese on top. It’s so simple, but it will taste fancy!
Chili
Chili is a classic comfort food that is easy to prepare and can serve a huge household. It’s not only cheap, but it also keeps everyone warm and full. The best thing about it is that chili freezes well. You can whip up a huge batch, place the leftovers in a container, and just thaw and reheat for another meal.
Homemade Quesadillas
Homemade quesadillas are a perfect go-to meal if you are low on ingredients. It’s also great if you don’t have the time to spend hours in the kitchen. The most basic version is just tortillas and cheese. You can toss in other ingredients, such as veggies, chicken, or ham. Just add them with the cheese before you fold and flip the tortilla. Serve the quesadilla with sour cream and salsa for the full experience!
Fried Rice
This dish is the perfect way to deal with leftover rice and vegetables. After all, the best way to cook fried rice is to use leftover rice! Just heat up the rice and chopped vegetables in a pan. Crack a few eggs over the mix, stir everything thoroughly, and season with soy sauce or garlic powder. If you have leftover meat, chop that up and add it in!
Mac And Cheese
Mac and cheese is a common favorite and the store-bought variety is very affordable. It may not be as good as cooking mac and cheese from scratch, but it will keep your tummy filled and it works if you have a tight budget. Here’s a tip to make it tastier: cook everything in milk—the mac and cheese will turn out creamier and cheesier.
Baked Potatoes With Toppings
Who does not love potatoes? They’re so versatile they can go well with almost everything, and they’re also cheap! There are a lot of baked potato recipes out there, but the simplest one is just served with cheese and sour cream, then seasoned with salt and pepper. There’s a lot of room to experiment—you can use beans, chili, and your leftovers as toppings too!
In fact, these dishes taste so good, you probably won’t even tell that you are tightening your food budget at the moment. Money may be tight, but you don’t have to starve until the next paycheck comes. These affordable and simple meals can get you through this tough time. And who knows, some of these dishes may become your new favorites!
